


Are we on?

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Flufftober [20]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Friends to Lovers, M/M, mentions of Robert with Mike the chef
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:09:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Flufftober day 20 Roommates/neighbours
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: Flufftober [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947490
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	Are we on?

Aaron was tired after a long day at work and he was looking forward to a night of doing absolutely nothing but watching some tv while eating junk food. As he drove up to his building, he noticed a moving van parked in front of it, blocking half the road and also the good parking spaces.

He decided he was too tired to argue with whoever was moving in and just parked his car a little further away and went up to his flat.

It turned out the moving van belonged to his new neighbour or neighbours and their entire floor was chaos because of it.

Again, the tiredness won from the annoyance and Aaron just walked around the chaos to get to his flat and hoped the new tenants would be normal and quiet, unlike the guy who’d lived there before who liked fighting with his girlfriend, loudly, and then making up even louder.

He didn’t see anyone around so he just figured he’d say hello the next day.

Only the next day he got called into work on his day off and by the time he got home he was in no mood to deal with anyone, let alone any new neighbours.

Whoever had moved in next door to Aaron was quiet, thankfully, but also seemed to work pretty much the opposite hours to his own.

It had been a few weeks since they’d moved in and Aaron had yet to see them.

He’d heard about them from some of the other neighbours. Apparently it was a guy alone, who was friendly, charming, and polite, if the ladies in the building were to be believed.

“Hello Aaron.” Mrs Philips, one of Aaron’s neighbours who lived on the same floor, greeted him as she and her dog stepped into the lift with him.

It was his day off and after putting the shopping off way too long, his fridge was empty. And so was his stomach.

“Hi.” Aaron gave her a smile and a nod. He liked her. Ever since he’d moved into the building she’d basically adopted him like a grandmother.

There’d been a little awkwardness when she’d tried to set him up with her granddaughter and he’d had to tell her he didn’t like girls like that, but that was soon forgotten. Especially when she found out Aaron had moved to the city after a break up.

“How are things, love?”

“Alright thanks. And you?”

“Oh not too bad, not too bad.” She smiled. “Henry and I are looking into taking a little trip soon. To Dublin to visit his brother.”

“That’s nice. My sister and step mum live in Dublin too.”

“Oh really? Well if you want to ride with us when we go, so you can visit them too, just say the word.”

“Thanks, but work is keeping me busy right now.” Aaron told her. “And my sister will be busy with her college work anyway. I’ll see them when the summer holidays start.”

“Ok. Well, if you change your mind, just knock on our door.”

“I will.”

“Have you met the new boy yet from number 42?”

Aaron bit back a laugh at her referring to the new guy as boy.

“No, not yet. I think we work different hours. He never seems to be home when I am. But I hear he’s nice?”

“Oh yes, very polite and helpful too. He helped me carry up my shopping the other day.”

“That’s nice. Have you introduced him to your granddaughter yet?” Aaron joked.

“Well… I would but uhm… from what I’ve seen… I think he’s… otherwise inclined… you know, like you.”

“Have you been spying on the neighbours, Mrs Philips?” Aaron asked amused.

“No! I was just taking Chester out for his late night walk. I’d fallen asleep in front of the telly again so it was a bit later than usual, and I saw him… kissing… another man.” Mrs. Philips said, almost whispering the last part like it was some kind of secret. Which, Aaron figured, if he was kissing some guy in public, it probably wasn’t. “He lives next door to you, haven’t you heard anything?”

“Nope.” Aaron shrugged. “Whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it much quieter than the last guy who lived there. Which is more than fine with me. But I should get going now or the shops will be closed and I won’t have any food.” He bent down to scratch the tiny Yorkshire terrier behind its ears. “Bye Chester, bye Mrs Philips.”

Aaron managed to get his shopping done in record time, and only got mildly annoyed by the rest of the shoppers. Only when he got back to his building, there was a car in his usual parking spot. Nobody had officially assigned spots, but that one was his and everyone knew it. It was one of the better spots, close to the entrance and easy to manoeuvre out of when leaving.

But no matter how much he glared at it, the shiny silver Porsche wasn’t going to move, so he settled for the open spot across the street and dragged his bags inside.

By the time he made it upstairs, he was sweaty and annoyed. The weather was getting warm and the black hoodie he was wearing really was too much.

He unlocked his door, dumped the shopping bags on his kitchen counter, took off his hoodie and threw open the balcony doors to get some fresh air. He vaguely heard some guitar music coming from outside but the need for a dry shirt was higher up his list of priorities.

After he’d changed, he made himself some lunch and decided to eat outside on his balcony.

The guitar music was still playing and it took him a while to realise it was coming from next door. New guy was home and played guitar then.

Aaron liked to think he had a pretty good ear for music, yet he couldn’t place the song.

“Some of us are trying to get some peace and quiet, you know. Take it inside!” One of the neighbours yelled.

“Oh shut up, Eric! It’s the middle of the day and it’s better than your Sunday morning wailing!” Aaron yelled back, annoyed. “Hey mate, do you take requests?”

“Sure. As long as it’s not Oasis.”

“Hey don’t knock Wonderwall, it’s a classic.”

“It’s kind of overdone, isn’t it?”

“Fine. Surprise me then.”

“Alright. See if this fits your tastes better then.” The strumming started again. It was the same song as before and Aaron still couldn’t place it.

There was a good two meters between the two balconies and Aaron’s previous neighbour had put up screens on the sides, for more privacy, so he couldn’t actually see who he was talking to.

“Sounds good mate, what is it?”

“I wrote it myself. It’s kind of a work in progress.”

“You write songs?”

“Sort of. Started learning a couple of years ago to impress someone… that didn’t work out but I kept the guitar.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. You’re talented.”

“Thanks.” The guy said and after a pause added, “Do you want to come over for a beer? Or a lemonade if you prefer. ”

“Oh uh... sure… why not.”

Aaron took his dishes inside, grabbed his phone and keys and made his way over to his neighbour’s house. He knocked on the door and when the guy opened up, Aaron almost fainted from shock.

“Aaron? Is that you?”

Aaron was too shocked to reply and just stared dumbfoundedly at the other man. His childhood best friend that he hadn’t seen in at least 15 years.

“It’s me, Robert. Robert Sugden. Do you remember me? We used to hang out when I lived in Emmerdale as a kid.”

“I… uh… yeah… hi…”

Robert smiled and Aaron wondered if he’d always been this gorgeous.

“Hey, come on in. I had no idea you lived here too.”

Aaron walked into the flat. It had the same lay out as his own but otherwise looked completely different. Where Aaron’s pride and joy was his tv and gaming console and the rest just functional, Robert seemed to have put a lot of time and effort into decorating his flat.

“Nice place.” He commented as he looked around.

“Thanks. I’m really happy with it.” Robert replied. “Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Do you want a beer? Or a coke or something?”

“Beer is fine.”

Robert dashed into the kitchen and came back with two bottles of beer.

“I can’t believe it’s really you.” He said and sat down next to Aaron on the sofa. “How long has it been? Fifteen years?”

“Yeah, something like that. You and your family moved away and we lost touch.”

Robert nodded.

“We moved to the other side of Hotten at first, but we didn’t live there long, and then further away near Hull for a few years until my parents split up. My mum moved down to Birmingham and eventually my dad let me join her. When I came out to him he was more than happy to get rid of me.” He took a swig of his beer. “He died a few years ago.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. We never got on and he really didn’t want a bisexual son.” Robert told him. “Anyway, how have you been?”

Aaron took a drink and filled him in on the past fifteen years. By the time they reached the present day they were both on their third beer.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Aaron asked, Mrs Philips’ comment from earlier in the back of his mind.

Robert made a face.

“Sort of?”

Aaron laughed.

“How can you be sort of seeing someone?”

“I don’t know.” Robert laughed too. “His name is Mike. He’s Irish. I met him in a club a while ago and we’ve gone out a few times… He’s nice…”

“But?”

“But… I don’t know. I like him, he’s sweet, good looking, good in bed… but it’s just… too easy?”

“Too easy? What do you mean?”

Robert shrugged.

“If he wants to go see a film and I want to go to a club, he’ll come to the club with me. He doesn’t like pineapple on pizza but he’ll have pizza Hawaii if I want it.”

“So he likes to please you. Is that such a bad thing?”

“I don’t know… that’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

Over the next few weeks they started spending more time together and soon they were as close as they had been as kids. Only this time around there was something more growing between them and they both felt it.

Robert was technically still seeing Mike, but neither of them remembered or cared about him when they ended up in Aaron’s bed together after a night of drinking and shooting zombies.

The next morning Aaron woke up alone and figured Robert must’ve ran back to his flat and his boyfriend, only when he sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he saw Robert’s shirt half hanging from his chest of drawers and his jeans on the floor.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Aaron looked up and saw Robert walking into the room wearing his boxers and Aaron’s shirt from the night before, and carrying two mugs.

“I made tea and I was going to make us breakfast in bed.” He sat down and handed Aaron a mug. “Unless you want me to get out and forget last night ever happened?”

“Do you? You have a boyfriend.”

Robert flinched.

“I’m not interested in being your bit on the side.” Aaron continued. “The sex on demand when your boyfriend is busy.”

Robert put his mug down on the floor.

“I’m not asking you to. Last night was… amazing. You made me feel… alive… like no-one else ever has.” He said, choosing his words carefully. “I feel like I can just be myself with you. I don’t have to be Robert from the club, or Robert from the office, or that nice lad from down the hall. I can be all of them or none of them and you still make me feel… special.”

Aaron smiled and let Robert kiss him.

“Last night was amazing for me too. But that doesn’t change the situation…”

“I know…” Robert sighed. “I’m supposed to meet him for lunch tomorrow. I’ll tell him then.” He decided. “He’s a good guy, he deserves more than a text or a phone call.”

Aaron nodded.

“Ok.”

“So… what about you and me then?” Robert asked, an almost shy smile spreading over his face. “Are we on?”

Aaron put a hand on his chest and moved it up to his neck, pulling him close to kiss him.

“Yeah. We’re on.”


End file.
